“Liberté, Egalité, E-Mobilité” –prelude to the second automobile revolution

Mercedes-Benz, the inventor of the automobile, is starting its activities surrounding the 125th anniversary of the automobile with a bold look forward. On January 29, 2011 it will be 125 years to the day when Carl Benz submitted his patent application for the first automobile, the three-wheel “Tricycle”. In parallel, Gottlieb Daimler was developing the first four-wheel motor car. Thus, independently from each other, the two inventors laid the foundation stone for the modern automobile and motorized individual transportation.

“The invention created by Daimler and Benz changed the world and affected virtually every aspect of daily life,” says Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, on the eve of the Paris Motor Show in the premiere cinema theater UCG Normandie on the Champs Elysées. “Now we are inventing the automobile for the second time. And the effect will once again be revolutionary.” Along the lines of “Liberté, Egalité, E-Mobilité” Zetsche decribed the role of the automobile in the modern society, the accumulated demand for automobiles in the emerging markets, such as China, Russia or India, and Mercedes-Benz solutions for sustainable mobility.

Mercedes-Benz is facilitating the entry into electro-mobility with the A-Class
E-CELL, which has its world premiere in Paris. The full-size five-seater offers unrestricted everyday usability for families, and is launched – after the B-Class F-CELL with fuel cell – as the second electric car from Mercedes-Benz to be built in series production. For quiet, zero local emissions driving, it is equipped with a 70 kW (95 hp) electric motor with a high torque of 290 Nm. Two highly efficient lithium-ion batteries enable a range of more than 200 km (NEDC).

The smart fortwo electric drive is being presented at the “Mondial de l’Automobile” in its second generation. The initial series of 1,000 units has already been increased to 1,500 units due to high demand. Large-volume production of the zero local emissions city runabout begins in 2012. Zetsche continues, “The time for show cars is over. Now we will see who can turn enthusiasm into business.”

smart car2go edition – world’s first series-production car-sharing vehicle
The smart car2go edition sees Daimler present in Paris the world’s first series-production car-sharing vehicle, facilitating completely new opportunities for urban mobility. The city car based on the smart fortwo is equipped with a completely new generation of hard and software that makes the fully automatic rental process even more straightforward and secure. A further clever detail is the standard-production solar roof. Electricity generated by it while driving reduces the load on the alternator and thus decreases fuel consumption by around ten percent. While parked, the solar energy powers the ventilation system and sinks cabin temperature by up to 18 degrees.

S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY – the first 5-liter car in the luxury class
Mercedes-Benz underscores the future potential of the internal combustion engine with the new S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, the first 5-liter car in the luxury class. The first four-cylinder engine in the more than 60-year success story of the S-Class – a highly efficient turbodiesel – achieves fuel consumption in the NEDC of only 5.7 liters per 100 kilometers, equating to CO2 emissions of 149 g/km. This makes the new S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY the first vehicle in its class to come in under the 150 gram mark in CO2 emissions.
However, the mobility revolution at Daimler not only applies to passenger vehicles, but also to buses, vans and trucks. Under the heading “Shaping Future Transportation”, the company is pulling together a host of technologies and services for commercial vehicles and buses, in order to make the future of transportation even more environmentally friendly, safer and more economical.

There are already around 300,000 heavy trucks and more than 25,000 buses on the world’s roads equipped with Daimler’s BlueTec technology featuring SCR technology, which is increasingly establishing itself as the global standard. A further 14,000 heavy trucks, delivery vans and buses from Daimler are already powered by alternative drives such as hybrid or natural gas.

Dr. Dieter Zetsche comments, “Daimler is the only automaker in the world already able to make all the traffic in a major city like Paris emissions free. That applies to individual transportation, as well as local public transportation with buses or heavy goods traffic with vans and trucks.”

“125! Years of Innovation” – anniversary motto looks to the future
He sums up by looking forward – “After 125 years, it is not that we have to re-invent the automobile because it has lost its appeal. Quite the reverse. We have to re-invent it, because it is such an enduring success that continues to grow.” It is for this reason that Daimler’s anniversary motto for the 125th birthday of the automobile, announced in Paris, does not look to the past, but rather to the future – 125! Years of Innovation.”

“A Mercedes has always stood for leadership in measurable categories like safety, comfort and drive,” explains Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Head of Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars. “During the anniversary year, we will be reinforcing this assertion by bringing more new models and more new technologies to market than ever before.” By way of example, he cited the new SLK Roadster, the new M-Class and the first model in a completely new line-up for the compact segment.

New Mercedes-Benz Gallery on the Champs Elysées
Center stage in the anniversary activities for Mercedes-Benz is also a more intensive dialog with its customers. One example of this is the new Mercedes-Benz Gallery, which will open on the Champs Elysées in October, enabling a glimpse into the fascinating world of the brand for around two million visitors every year. This initiative sees Mercedes-Benz build on its long tradition on Paris’ most prestigious avenue, where the brand’s first showroom – the glitzy “Mercedes Palace” – opened its doors in the early 20th century. Next year will also mark the inauguration of a new flagship Mercedes-Benz showroom in another major city – New York.